SA Footy

Given next year is the 20th year of the WWTFC football club, I thought it would be interesting to get people's thoughts and memories of the merger at the time it was occurring.
Many West Torrens supporters seem to see it as the death of their football club, or a sad occasion like Aerie has mentioned in his "How I came to support my team" post.
As a Woodville supporter I knew that the advent of the AFL in SA would mean a change to the football landscape. I can remember feeling it was so important Woodville win the last game because it would somehow show we were the stronger party going into the merger. Perhaps it was also because we had underperformed that year too so could not stand losing another game we should have won.
I also knew that Torrens had a lot of latent supporters, so once 1991 started I was looking forward to going to games where we could get big crowds, 10-15k, against the bigger sides if we could we succesful. Unfortunately this never really happened too much.
How about supporters of other teams? Did you really care or have any opinions at the time?

Interesting topic you have raised here FH...doesn't time fly!

I was 14 at the time of the merger and IIRC heard the news on a sunday footy show hosted by KG. As a mad Torrens supporter who went mainly to home games in those days I was sad to think that my team wasnt going to exist in the same way I had known, but at the same time i thought id rather have the team exist in some form rather than not at all. As I grew up in Woodville the Warriors were always my second team so maybe that made it a bit easier for me to accept the merge too, as did the Eagle name staying.
There are a few things that stand out for me from the last game..
getting my final game certifcate signed by Torrens players...and Woodville players as well (seeing as they would be on the same side for the next game),holding up the Torrens banner, Ian Hanna's goal and the photo they took for the mail the next day on the hill.
Since 1991 ive missed only a handful of games, remember one of the early ones back at Woodville against Port where there were over 10,000 people there but as you said the big crowds never really came out, wonder how things would have panned out had Port been the first team in to the big time and we ended up with an 8 team comp???

Still home to one of the best lace-up guernseys ever in my opinion.

It might be one for spelly, but I think the Eagles first game was a trial game against Westies in the Riverland?

The last game at Adelaide oval and yes I was there.
One thing sticks out in my mind apart from Scruff Hanna was the reporting of "The WEED". And then it was thrown out by the tribunal and I think the reason given was .How can u get reported for hitting one of your own side!!
20yrs my how time has flown

At the time it came as no great surprise to me - both clubs had propped up the ladder for as long as I could remember.

Last game at Adelaide Oval was memorable.

Especially when Ian Hanna came on and kicked a goal!

Columbo wrote:Interesting topic you have raised here FH...doesn't time fly!

I was 14 at the time of the merger and IIRC heard the news on a sunday footy show hosted by KG. As a mad Torrens supporter who went mainly to home games in those days I was sad to think that my team wasnt going to exist in the same way I had known, but at the same time i thought id rather have the team exist in some form rather than not at all. As I grew up in Woodville the Warriors were always my second team so maybe that made it a bit easier for me to accept the merge too, as did the Eagle name staying.
There are a few things that stand out for me from the last game..
getting my final game certifcate signed by Torrens players...and Woodville players as well (seeing as they would be on the same side for the next game),holding up the Torrens banner, Ian Hanna's goal and the photo they took for the mail the next day on the hill.
Since 1991 ive missed only a handful of games, remember one of the early ones back at Woodville against Port where there were over 10,000 people there but as you said the big crowds never really came out, wonder how things would have panned out had Port been the first team in to the big time and we ended up with an 8 team comp???

I was 13 Columbo. Thanks for reminding us about the photo on the Hill - had forgotten about that.
Remember some okay crowds, 7000 v South in 91, 10000 at FP v Port in 93, 15000 v Port in 94 on Anzac Day. Perhaps it was the way Norwood and Glenelg were affected on and off the field by the Crows and their slide down the laddder in 1991, but I remember hoping there'd be huge crowds for these games.

redandblack wrote:It might be one for spelly, but I think the Eagles first game was a trial game against Westies in the Riverland?

Think one of the first games was a curtain raiser to the crows first trial game against Essendon, against the rest of the crows squad who didnt make the cut for the trial....but im sure Spelly will be able to give us the details!

Columbo wrote:

redandblack wrote:It might be one for spelly, but I think the Eagles first game was a trial game against Westies in the Riverland?

Think one of the first games was a curtain raiser to the crows first trial game against Essendon, against the rest of the crows squad who didnt make the cut for the trial....but im sure Spelly will be able to give us the details!

I was at that Trial Columbo but cant remember us being there .

smithy wrote:Still home to one of the best lace-up guernseys ever in my opinion.

Agreed. The West Torrens lace-up was easily the most attractive football guernsey I've seen. Why they changed it I'll never know.

I recall the first time the W-WT Eagles played at Norwood Oval and Balmey got a standing ovation as he walked onto the oval. Great stuff. I was standing next to Fred Bills and he said the club needed a premiership before they could consider the merger a success. Apparently back then all the old Torrens supporters stuck together, as did the Woodville ones.

Adelaide Hawk wrote:

smithy wrote:Still home to one of the best lace-up guernseys ever in my opinion.

Agreed. The West Torrens lace-up was easily the most attractive football guernsey I've seen. Why they changed it I'll never know.

I recall the first time the W-WT Eagles played at Norwood Oval and Balmey got a standing ovation as he walked onto the oval. Great stuff. I was standing next to Fred Bills and he said the club needed a premiership before they could consider the merger a success. Apparently back then all the old Torrens supporters stuck together, as did the Woodville ones.

My understanding from my childhood the Eagle on the front used to break up (for lack of better words).Someone either at the SANFL or the club was worried about players injuring themselves.
This is all going back in time so if I'm wrong let me know

AH that would be expected in the old days .these days we mix a we bit better .Not perfect mind u .
And seeing I have a 21 yo who only knows WWTFC the next gen is already on the Eagles bandwagon.

smithy wrote:Still home to one of the best lace-up guernseys ever in my opinion.

It's personal taste but as a kid I thought the guernsey with the Eagle on it was a joke. Whether it was the colours or the design, I just could never take Torrens seriously whilst they wore that guernsey. I thought that the Prison Bar guernsey and even our Big V guernsey looked manly and strong and Torrens looked like a clown outfit. As I said personal taste.

Interestingly enough in the 15 years Torrens wore it, 1955 until 1970, they never won a final wearing the Eagle guernsey. I know oldtime Torrens barrackers thought that the Eagle guernsey was the beginning of the end.

Mickyj wrote:

Adelaide Hawk wrote:

smithy wrote:Still home to one of the best lace-up guernseys ever in my opinion.

Agreed. The West Torrens lace-up was easily the most attractive football guernsey I've seen. Why they changed it I'll never know.

I recall the first time the W-WT Eagles played at Norwood Oval and Balmey got a standing ovation as he walked onto the oval. Great stuff. I was standing next to Fred Bills and he said the club needed a premiership before they could consider the merger a success. Apparently back then all the old Torrens supporters stuck together, as did the Woodville ones.

My understanding from my childhood the Eagle on the front used to break up (for lack of better words).Someone either at the SANFL or the club was worried about players injuring themselves.
This is all going back in time so if I'm wrong let me know

AH that would be expected in the old days .these days we mix a we bit better .Not perfect mind u .
And seeing I have a 21 yo who only knows WWTFC the next gen is already on the Eagles bandwagon.

The next guernsey (1971-1973) was the "canary Eagle" in a lace up.

The first trial match was played on the 1st of February 1991, before the trial match between Adelaide and Essendon. Both Crows sides that played that evening was a mix of what was expected to be the first choice and the rest, although the majority of the first choice players played against Essendon.
Adelaide 3.4 8.7 10.9 13.11 (89)
Eagles 0.3 0.5 2.8 3.8 (26)

Best:
Adelaide: Tregenza, McDermott, Clisby, Stoeckel, Liptak, McIntyre
Eagles: McCarthy, Pisani, Popplestone, Meade
Goals:
Adelaide: McIntyre 4, Mandemaker 3, Stoeckel 2, Bickley, Liptak, Tasker, Tanner
Eagles: Bulluss 2, McDonald

redandblack wrote:It might be one for spelly, but I think the Eagles first game was a trial game against Westies in the Riverland?

That was the first of the Foundation Cup matches for that season (which was the following Sunday). I did have the best and goalkickers somewhere, but can only find the scores at the moment:

West 5.3 9.8 15.11 18.16 (124)
Eagles 4.1 5.1 11.3 13.8 (86)
Loxton, 2500

robranisgod wrote:It's personal taste but as a kid I thought the guernsey with the Eagle on it was a joke. Whether it was the colours or the design, I just could never take Torrens seriously whilst they wore that guernsey. I thought that the Prison Bar guernsey and even our Big V guernsey looked manly and strong and Torrens looked like a clown outfit. As I said personal taste.

Interestingly enough in the 15 years Torrens wore it, 1955 until 1970, they never won a final wearing the Eagle guernsey. I know oldtime Torrens barrackers thought that the Eagle guernsey was the beginning of the end.

And how did West Torrens go after they stopped wearing the large eagle on the chest? At least they used to make finals from 1955 to 1970.

Adelaide Hawk wrote:

robranisgod wrote:It's personal taste but as a kid I thought the guernsey with the Eagle on it was a joke. Whether it was the colours or the design, I just could never take Torrens seriously whilst they wore that guernsey. I thought that the Prison Bar guernsey and even our Big V guernsey looked manly and strong and Torrens looked like a clown outfit. As I said personal taste.

Interestingly enough in the 15 years Torrens wore it, 1955 until 1970, they never won a final wearing the Eagle guernsey. I know oldtime Torrens barrackers thought that the Eagle guernsey was the beginning of the end.

And how did West Torrens go after they stopped wearing the large eagle on the chest? At least they used to make finals from 1955 to 1970.

That is exactly what the oldtimers maintained, that the Big Eagle started the slide. Ommediately prior to the big eagle Torrnes had made the finals 8 out of the previos 9 years and has won two flags. From the commencement of the Eagle they made 6 out of the next 16 finals series. Then when they got rid of the eagle, they made only 3 of the next 10 finals series, before not making a final series at all in the last 10 years.

Quite probably it is all coincidence, but you will never convince the old timers that the change to the Big Eagle was the beginning of th end.

spell_check wrote:

redandblack wrote:It might be one for spelly, but I think the Eagles first game was a trial game against Westies in the Riverland?

That was the first of the Foundation Cup matches for that season (which was the following Sunday). I did have the best and goalkickers somewhere, but can only find the scores at the moment:

West 5.3 9.8 15.11 18.16 (124)
Eagles 4.1 5.1 11.3 13.8 (86)
Loxton, 2500

Thanks spelly, I was at that game as a trainer for West and thought it was the Eagles first 'meaningful' game.

robranisgod wrote:

Adelaide Hawk wrote:

robranisgod wrote:It's personal taste but as a kid I thought the guernsey with the Eagle on it was a joke. Whether it was the colours or the design, I just could never take Torrens seriously whilst they wore that guernsey. I thought that the Prison Bar guernsey and even our Big V guernsey looked manly and strong and Torrens looked like a clown outfit. As I said personal taste.

Interestingly enough in the 15 years Torrens wore it, 1955 until 1970, they never won a final wearing the Eagle guernsey. I know oldtime Torrens barrackers thought that the Eagle guernsey was the beginning of the end.

And how did West Torrens go after they stopped wearing the large eagle on the chest? At least they used to make finals from 1955 to 1970.

That is exactly what the oldtimers maintained, that the Big Eagle started the slide. Ommediately prior to the big eagle Torrnes had made the finals 8 out of the previos 9 years and has won two flags. From the commencement of the Eagle they made 6 out of the next 16 finals series. Then when they got rid of the eagle, they made only 3 of the next 10 finals series, before not making a final series at all in the last 10 years.

Quite probably it is all coincidence, but you will never convince the old timers that the change to the Big Eagle was the beginning of th end.

To follow that through, why didn't West Torrens revert to winning flags when Kerley brought back the sash in 1977? As you say, quite possibly coincidence.

Adelaide Hawk wrote:
To follow that through, why didn't West Torrens revert to winning flags when Kerley brought back the sash in 1977? As you say, quite possibly coincidence.

Not sure who the old timers are They must be ancient now so long ago.

Anyway off topic here but what clubs didnt win a flag when Knuckles coached them.
Torrens and Centrals

Torrens last ever game was beating port in the reserves grand final. i was only 11 when the merger happened and i was devo. been going to as many games as i could. does not help when u play saafl footy on the same days. Everytime they play a thebby i make an extra effort (fake an injury) to get along. Eagle through and through now.